Highway guard



Oct. 13, 1931. J, M DODDRlDGE y 1,826,998

HIGHWAY GUARD Filed Nov, 29. 1929 IN VEN TOR.

.JH/V55 M Zapp/Waag A TTORNEYS.

Patented Oct. 13, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT? OFFICE HIGHWAY GUARD Application led November 29, 1929. Serial No. 410,298.

This invention relates to a protective fence, particularly for use along dangerous sections of highway.

One object of the invention is to provide a fence which can be economically built from standard steel sections such as I-beams. channels and angle irons and which is easily adinstable to curves and gradients. y

@ne feature of the invention consists in m novel means for anchoring the upright posts .for forming the support members of the fence.

Another feature resides in a novel means of fning channel section guard rails to the w said posts.

@ther objects and features of the invention will be fully' understood from the accompanying drawings and the follog description and claims:

Fig. 1 is an elevationallview of a section of the tence showing the upright supports and ard rails. Fig. 2 is an elevational View in section illustrating one of the said upright supports with its anchoring means and guard an rail connections. Fig. 3 is substantially a plan view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2 and illustrating the said anchoring means in detail. Fig. 4 illustrates an alternative method of fastening the channel guard rails to the an upright supports. Fig. 5 is .a plan view of the arrangement of parts at the top of said posts.

plurality of upright posts 10. herein shown as standard I-beam sections. are pro- 85 vided. Each of the posts is preferably set in a concrete base 11. For anchoring the posts against the shock of collision with a vehicle, a reinforcingr member 12 is provided. The said member 12 is formed substantially U= 40 shaped with outwardlv bent extremities 13.

The base portion 14 of the member 12 engages the upright post 10 at a position at or near the ground line. The outwardlv-turned extremities 13 are embedded in an anchorage 46 15 of concrete or a similar material. The remainder of the member 12 is preferably also embedded in concrete 16. By this construction. an extremely simple. inexpensive and elective reinforcement is obtained for the l '50 upright posts.

The fence is preferably formed with a lower guard rail 17 and an upper guard rail 18. The lower guard rail 17 is formed of a channel member which may be cut in sections extendingl from post to post or in u longer sections, depending upon the nature of the highway ade. The' channel mem` ber 17 is turned with its flanges 19 toward the post and its web portion 20 toward the highway. Thus ailat surface free from obstructions is presented toward the highway. For fastening the channel member 17 to the posts 10, a plurality of L-head bolts 21 are provided having their heads 22 upwardly turned and engaging holes 23 in the flanges of the channel. Four of the bolts 2l are provided for each post, two on each side of the post, one of which engages the upper Hange and the other the lower dange of the channel 17 zo Plates 32 are provided adjacent the highway side of each post and plates 24 adjacent the rearward side. Each of the bolts 21 passes through holes in the said plates and a'nut 25 threadedly engages the rearward end of each bolt. en the nuts 25 are tightened into position, the plates 24 are clamped against the rearward side of the post and the gua-rd rail 17 is clamped against the plates 32 which are in turn clamped against the highway side of the post. By varying the thickness of the plates 32, the web of the guard rail may be positioned any desired distance from the post. Itis important that the guard rail be positioned far 35 enough from the post so that no overhanging portion of a vehicle, such as a fender, can` strike the post. Where channels are used having flanges sufficiently deep to accomplish this purpose, theplates 32 may be no omitted and the channel clamped directly i to the post. By this construction, it is possible to readily adjust the position of the guard rail 17 upon the post 10. No special parts, such as castings or specially lrolled shapes, are required, and none of the fastening members project beyond the surface of the web 2O of the ard rail. i

In Fig. 4 is illustrated an alternative form of fastening for the channel member 17. 100

Therein a plurality of L-head bolts 121 are supplied threaded over substantially their entire length. A pair of plates 124 similar to the plates 24 is provided for each pair of bolts, one pair of plates being positioned adjacent one surface of the post 10 and the other pair of plates adjacent the opposite surface. Nuts 125 threadedly engage the f bolts 121 and serve to clamp the said plates against the vertical member. With this construction, the up-turned ends 122 of the bolts 12 serve simply as hooks upon which to hang the channel member 17 which is then easily removable without altering the position of the bolts or nuts, or may be attached per manently by using a nut on the upturned portion of the bolt after it has passed through the flange of the channel.

The upper Iguard rail 18 is herein shown in the form of an angle iron which may be cut to lengths 4to extend from post to post or may be cut to longer lengths. depending upon the highwav grade. At the top of each post 10 a slotted hole 26 is cut in the web. A U-bolt 27 is positioned in the said hole and a plate 28 having slotted holes 29 isplared at the top of the column with the ends of the lll-bolt extending through the said holes. rlhe guard rail 18 is then positioned with one leg resting upon the plate and with the end of the U-bolt projecting through slotted holes therein. Nuts 31 are applied to the ends of the lll-bolts and serve to clamp the guard rail 18 and plate 28 to the column 10. ln this construction. the plate 28 serves as a seat "for the guard rail 18. This is particularly important at those posts where the .guard rail 18 is formed with a joint as in lig. 5. llhe holes 29 and 30 are ot slotted form for the purpose of adjusting slight inaccuracies in the positioning of the posts. '.llhe provision of slotted holes in the plate 28 as well as in the guard rail 18 allows the plate 28 to be positioned to give an adequate support to the abutting ends of two adiacent guard rail members 18. even though the said ends do not abut at the exact center line ot the column 10. This feature is clearly shown in Fig. 5 wherein the right-hand member 18 would have practically no bearing upon the column 10 if the plate 28 were not used and would have a relatively small bearinan on the plate 28 if the holes 29 were not of slotted form.

lt is to be understood that variations in the details of construction herein shown maV be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, it is not necessary that the upright columns be ot -beam section. rlfubular columns or other standard shapes may be used as well and the features of the invention hereinbefore describedl are equally applicable.

rlhe invention claimed is:

1. lln a protective tence for highways the masses combination of an upright supporting post having a hole therethrough adjacent its upper end, a plate for the top of said post, an angle iron guard rail having one leg resting upon said plate and a bolt passing through the said hole in said post for fastening said guard rail and plate to said post.

2. In a protective fence for highways the combination of an upright supporting post having a hole therethrough adjacent its upper end, a plate for the top of said post, an angle iron guard rail having one leg resting upon said plate and a U-bolt passing through the said hole in said post for fastening said guard rail and plate to said post.

3. ln a protective fence for highways the combination of an upright supporting post having a hole therethrough adjacent its upper end, a plate for the top of said post having an elongated hole therein, a guard rail resting upon said plate and having a hole therein and a bolt engaging all of said holes -for fastening said guard rail and plate to said post.

4. ln a protective fence for highways, the combination of a plurality of upright supg porting posts, a guard rail formed of a channel shaped section having its flanges toward said posts and its web portion toward the highway, a plurality of bolts having ll.- shagped heads engaging holes in a flange of said guard rail, and means for supporting said bolts upon said posts.

5. lln a protective fence for highways the combination ot a plurality of upright supporting posts, a guard rail formed of a channel shaped section having its flanges toward said posts and its web portion toward the highway, a perforated plate engaging the side of each post opposite said guard rail, a bolt on each side of each post, said bolts each having a threaded end extending through a perforation in said plate and an lL-shaped head engaging a hole in a flange of said guard rail. and a nut engaging the threaded end of f each of said bolts for adjustably clamping said guard rail and plates to said posts.

6. ln a protective fence for highways theyv combination of a plurality of upright supporting posts. a guard rail Jformed of a channel shaped section having its 'flanges toward said posts and its web :'portion toward the highway, a plurality of bolts arranged two on each side of each post. said bolts having lL-shaped heads enga-ging holes in the flanges of said channel member, one bolt on each side of each post engaging the upper flange and one the lower flange, plates engaging the side of each post opposite to said guard rail, said plates having holes engaging the ends of said bolts and nuts threadedly engaging said bolt ends for adjustably clamping said plate and said guard rail to said posts.

7. lln a protective fence tor highways the combination of a plurality of upright supico porting posts, a guard rail formed of a channel shaped sec ion having its anges toward said posts and its web portion toward the highway, spacer plates interposed between said flanges and said posts, a perforated plate engaging the opposite side of each post, a bolt on each side of each post, said bolts each having a threaded end extending through a perforation in one of said perforated plates 1o and an L-shaped head engaging a hole in a flange of said guard rail, and a nut engaging the threaded end of each of said bolts for adjustably clamping said guard rail and plates to said posts.

8. In a protective fence for highways the combination of a plurality of upri ht supporting posts, a guard rail formed o a channel shaped section having its flanges toward said posts and its web portion toward the highway, spacer plates interposed between each flange and said posts, a plurality of bolts arranged two on eac-h side of each post,

said bolts having L-shaped heads engaging holes in the Hanges of said channel member,

one lbolt on each side of eaeh post engaging the upper flange and one the lower iange, perforated plates engaging the side of each' post opposite to said guard rail, said lates having holes engaging the ends of sai bolts and nuts threadedly engaging said bolt ends for adjustably clamping said plates and said guard rail to said posts.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto aiiixed my signature. u J AMES- M. DODDRIDGE. 

